Bahrain police break up Shiite demonstration
DUBAI, Dec 1, (AFP): Bahraini police fired tear gas and stun bombs to break up protests overnight in Shiite-populated villages around Manama, leading to arrests and injuries, witnesses said on Saturday.
The protesters took to the streets in response to a call by the Feb 14 Youth Coalition for rallies against a blockage imposed on the Shiite locality of Mahazza, near the capital, since Nov 7.
“The blockade will not make us afraid” and “Down with Hamad,” chanted the protesters, in reference to King Hamad.
The protesters, some of whom wore masks, waved the Bahraini flag and pictures of prisoners.
Preliminary investigations by the coroner, the prosecutor and the parliamentary committee suggest Beheshti’s death was caused by mistreatment, either through beating or psychological torture, at the hands of the cyber police.
Alaeddine Boroujerdi, who heads parliament’s national security and foreign affairs committee, took issue on Saturday with claims by pathologists that Beheshti had died from shock and fear, saying he had “very clearly” been beaten while in detention.
He called on the cyber police to “seriously review its practices.”
Iran formed the police unit in early 2011 to combat “cyber crimes,” particularly those committed on social networking sites which are popular among the opposition and dissidents.
Meanwhile, the United States on Friday demanded that Iran free jailed human rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh, who it said has been on hunger strike for more than six weeks, and sharply criticized Iranian authorities for their treatment of the 49-year-old prize-winning lawyer. Tunisian protesters clash with riot police (unseen), in Siliana, Tunisia, Nov 30. Tunisia’s prime minister accused opposition parties and unions Thursday of provoking three days of violent clashes in Siliana and pleaded for patience while the government tackles the
nation’s economic problems. (AP)